


A Snowball's Chance

by uniquepov



Series: Draco/Hermione Advent Fics [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-30
Updated: 2011-11-30
Packaged: 2017-10-26 17:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/285858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uniquepov/pseuds/uniquepov
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry, Hermione and Ron - amongst others - have returned to Hogwarts to complete their education the year following the war. One snowy day, Ron and Harry convince Hermione to get some fresh air, but they all get a big surprise in the process.</p><p>(Prompt: snowball fight)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Snowball's Chance

**Author's Note:**

> A great big thank you to everyone who nominated me. After what I put them through last year, I hope you - and Draco & Hermione - appreciate this warm fuzzy of a ficlet.
> 
> Thank you to kinky_kneazle and khasael for the beta work and their amazing ability to make my work so. much. better.
> 
> Thank you to deirdre_aithne for the cheerleading and all-around awesomeness.
> 
> Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. I own nothing that you recognise, and I do not profit from any of it. I'm just playing in the wonderful universe JKR made, so... don't sue, k? k.

It was days like these, Hermione reflected, where she could pretend that nothing had changed all that much after the war. They were back at Hogwarts, preparing to sit their NEWTs, and she had spent nearly every waking moment revising, until Harry and Ron had finally dragged her outdoors for some fresh air.

As Hermione stood musing, a snowball sailed through the air, smacking her on the shoulder. Harry let out a crow of triumph.

“Good one, mate!” Ron called, from behind the cover of a stone wall. He popped up and fired a snowball of his own at Harry, which smacked harmlessly into a low-hanging branch as Harry dodged behind a tree.

Hermione scooped up a double handful of snow and packed it together, deftly making a ball and launching it at Harry as he emerged from the tree line, laughing as it caught him in the shoulder, spraying his face and glasses.

Ron sent a snowball flying towards her, and Hermione ducked down behind a hedge. She could hear the boys whispering together, and cautiously poked her head out. A flicker of movement in the opposite direction caught the corner of her eye, and she snapped her head around to track the movement. There was nothing there, though, and her eyes narrowed as she scanned the area.

“ _Wingardium Leviosa_!”

The sound of Harry and Ron’s voices in concert made her whip back around to face them. In tandem, Harry and Ron sent a flurry of snowballs arcing through the afternoon air towards her.

“ _Expulso_!” Hermione giggled as the snowballs exploded, enveloping her in a shower of snowflakes.

“Oy, that’s cheating!”

“And a Levitation Charm isn’t?” Hermione retorted, ducking behind a tree. Another volley of snowballs smacked into the tree. “Not to mention it’s turned two against one!”

“You’ve still got the advantage,” Harry laughed. “You’re the best of us at spells, by far.”

Hermione’s attention was pulled by another flicker of movement, off to her left. She caught a glimpse of distortion, as though someone Disillusioned was moving between the trees. A second later, it had disappeared again, and she frowned.

A flash of movement to her right drew her attention then, and she ducked as a snowball smacked into the tree where her head had been seconds before. Another snowball, apparently enchanted to seek her out, exploded against her thigh.

“You’re for it, now, boys,” she murmured. Crouching down, Hermione packed another snowball and laid it on the ground in front of her. “ _Engorgio Maximus_!”

She sent the giant snowball hurtling towards Harry and Ron where they were crouched behind the hedge. When it was just over their heads, she cast another _Expulso_ and it exploded over the two, momentarily obscuring them from view. It reminded Hermione of a snow globe, except for Harry’s and Ron’s shouts of dismay. She giggled again.

Suddenly, there was movement to her right and a barrage of snowballs began pelting the boys.

“Alright, ‘Mione, enough! We surrender!” Harry shouted.

“It isn’t me!” Drawing her wand, Hermione cried, “ _Finite Incantatem!_ ” Her eyes widened as there was no effect on the enchantment.

The snowballs continued to seemingly form on their own and fly straight for Harry and Ron. Each progressive volley, the snowballs were larger, until the boys were forced to cast shield charms and make a run for the castle.

As Harry and Ron disappeared from sight, Hermione folded her arms across her chest and quirked an eyebrow at the treeline. After a long moment, she heard a whispered spell and Draco Malfoy appeared at the edge of the clearing.

“Sorry, Granger,” Draco said with a smirk. “But I’ve been waiting for a chance to pay Potter back since that time outside the Shrieking Shack in third-year.” He turned and headed back towards the Black Lake. As Hermione stared after him, he paused, half-turning to look at her over his shoulder as he shrugged. “Evening out the odds was… an added bonus.”

Hermione watched him until he was out of sight, a thoughtful expression on her face. She looked towards the castle, in the direction of Ron’s and Harry’s footprints for a long moment before following Draco’s path towards the Black Lake with a smile.

 _Then again_ , she thought to herself, _perhaps there had been some rather significant changes, after all._


End file.
